Mini-6 pin and 5-pin DIN PS/2 compatibility

I have a PCB with a PS/2 keyboard connector. The only problem is that it uses a (standard size) 5-pin DIN female connector for some strange reason, while all PS/2 keyboards I've come across use 6-pin mini DIN connectors.

So I was wondering if it's possible to unsolder the 5-pin female DIN and replace it with a 6-pin female mini-DIN, or is the pin placement and spacing completely different? (I know that there are adapter-connectors available, but I'd rather avoid it in this case).

Reply to
NoSp
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NoSp schrieb:

You'd better get one of those. The footprints (and sizes) are *totally* different, and the pinout too.

Tilmann

--
http://www.autometer.de - Elektronik nach Maß.
Reply to
Tilmann Reh

The connectors are usually moulded onto the kayboard leads and not easy to remove.

The adapter is the best way to go, get one with the flying lead rather than the all in one moulded thing, it allows the external cable a bit of flexibility.

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Rushden, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

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Reply to
Prepair Ltd

If the wiring is the same (and it should be if it is simply a standard PS2 keyboard) you could break off the unused pin on the keyboard plug. Just make sure you do it to the correct one.

Reply to
Ken

That 5-pin DIN is what keyboard connectors used to be before the P/S2 came out! So your first sentence is wrong - I don't think you'll find any other reference to on that PCB to PS/2.

HTH

--
-- 
Graham W   http://www.gcw.org.uk/ XP1800+ Page added, Graphics Tutorial
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Reply to
Graham W

NoSp wrote in news:472f8ca1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.broadpark.no:

how do you know? Are you using an adapter (pS2 to 5-pin DIN) already?

5-pin DIN keyboard connector...

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Reply to
me

Huh? The board is supposed to be a PS/2 keyboard interface for an old 80s computer. Are you saying that it's not PS/2, but another standard? Strange, because the PS/2 keyboard works with it.

What's that old standard called?

Reply to
NoSp

Make an adaptor. Or open the keyboard up and wire in a cable from some other keyboard that has the mini-Din connector on it. Make sure to look up the pinouts on the two connectors to get the signals right.

Oh wait, you want to change the connector on the board. Get a mini-Din female connector, and just wire it to the point where the current connector is, you don't even need to remove the old. Again, check the pinouts to get it right.

Of course, it's not PS/2 unless it's min-DIN.

On the other hand, the only difference between the PS/2 keyboard and the AT keyboard that came before it was the connector.

However, the original IBM PC keyboard used the larger DIN connector, but the keycodes were different, so you can't use those with equipment that came later. There was a transition period when the keyboards came with a switch to go between the original keyboard and the AT keyboard, though I've also seen older keyboards where the switch was inside the case, and no easy way to change it without opening the case; I assume those were old stock put in newer casing, at a time when the demand for switchable keyboards had disappeared.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Black

I'm the original poster and I see that there's been some misunderstanding regarding my request. Let me try to clear things up.

The PCB in question is a "QWERTYX" for the Atari ST which allows standard PC type mice and keyboards to be used. More info and a photo of the PCB here:

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However, since most non-USB keyboards today use the smaller 6 pin mini-DIN connector I thought it would be more handy and make it more compatible if I change the existing 5-pin DIN connector to a 6 pin mini-DIN.

The computer will be recased, and an adapter (yes, I have one of those

-works fine) will make the everything stick out quite a bit out from the computer.

Reply to
NoSp

You can buy adaptors at any computer shop.

Andrew

Reply to
Sarason

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